5.9 The Sticky Middle Between Uplevels: Trusting the Transition After a Big Life Change Artwork

Life Curious Women

Between focusing on our wellness, careers, and the values important to us, we can sometimes feel overwhelmed or alone in our purposeful journeys to grow. Join actor, and life-long learner, Ashley Nadine Lopez every week as she interviews fellow life curious women who break down their paths in following their passions to fulfill their purpose. If you are an ambitious, multi-passionate woman who is looking for inspiration and working on your growth, follow your curiosity and come learn with me!

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Life Curious Women

5.9 The Sticky Middle Between Uplevels: Trusting the Transition After a Big Life Change

February 18, 2026 • Ashley Nadine Lopez • Season 5 • Episode 9

0:00 | 28:35

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You didn’t make a mistake. You’re not behind. You’re in the integration phase.

In this solo episode of Life Curious Women, Ashley dives into the sticky middle, the uncomfortable space between an old identity and a new one.

After losing her 9-5, stepping fully into freelancing, growing her acting career, and building a portfolio career, Ashley shares the real, behind-the-scenes emotional work of upleveling: nervous system recalibration, productivity guilt, income waves, ADHD structure, and learning to trust a new reality before you have proof.

If you’ve ever:

Left a job and felt disoriented
Started a business, podcast, or creative path and questioned everything
Experienced an identity shift that felt exciting and terrifying
Felt guilty for resting or having time freedom
Wondered if your growth was “a fluke”

This episode will give you language, tools, and reassurance for navigating life transitions without self-sabotage.

Ashley introduces the Life Curious Women Formula for moving through the in-between:

✨ Connection to self (nervous system work, therapy, journaling)
✨ Expansion (finding expanders and proof)
✨ Education (building confidence through learning)
✨ Action (small, aligned steps forward)

She also shares three powerful reflection questions to help you move from seeking external proof to building internal trust.

This is your reminder: the void is not punishment, it’s integration.

⏱️ In This Episode

The “sticky middle” between uplevels explained
Career transitions, freelancing, and portfolio careers
ADHD and creating your own structure
Nervous system regulation during identity shifts
Productivity guilt and time freedom
Why growth can feel lonely
How to build trust in a new version of your life
Tools to move through uncertainty without quitting

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